The lifestyle of the Prophet

The lifestyle of the Prophet

 

It is mentioned in Al Mawahib Al Ladunniya on the authority of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that the mother of the believers, Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) stated on oath that 3 consecutive months would pass and no fire (to cook food with) would be lit in the houses of any of the wives of the Prophet. 

 

Her nephew ‘Urwah (May Allah be well pleased with him) asked:  What would you eat then? 

 

She replied:  We would subsist on dates and water.

 

It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim that the whole day would pass, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would become restless with hunger but even dates wouldn’t be in abundance to satiate the hunger.  It is mentioned in Jame’ Tirmidhi on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that many nights, night after night would pass and the Prophet and all His dependents would go to sleep hungry.

 

There is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim and other books that once the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) came at a time when He wouldn’t usually come.  By chance, Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them) also came.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked them the reason for coming at that odd hour.  Both of them said:  Hunger, o Prophet of Allah.  The Prophet said:  The same is the case with Me. 

 

The Prophet then took both of them to the house of a Madinite.  When he saw them, he gave thanks to Allah and exclaimed:  I am the most privileged person on earth today that they are my guests!

 

He slaughtered a goat and prepared roti and meat.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) took a roti and placed some meat on it and said:  Give it to Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her).  She hasn’t had meat for many days now.

 

After the meal was over, the Prophet said:  We will be asked about this bounty as well.

 

There is a Hadith in Jame’ Tirmidhi that Abu Talha (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  Once many of us requested:  O Prophet of Allah!  We are facing such acute hunger that we have tied stones to our stomachs.  Then each one of us showed the stones which we had tied.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) then lifted His tunic and we saw that 2 stones were tied to His stomach.

 

[Excerpted from Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 5]